Mark of the Pony · 1:38pm Jul 11th, 2015
There's an idea that's been sitting on one of my many mental back burners for two years, and I'd like to finally take it off the stove. The problem is that I can think of three different approaches, and I'm not sure which will work best. Thus, I turn to you, my trusted friends.
The gist is that I want to address something that very few people seem to have considered: How do cutie marks work in the human world? I have a set headcanon; I just need to find the right canoneer. Here are the options I'm considering:
1. The Eleuwhinnian Mysteries: Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle have been told time and again that they would know when they were ready to get their icons. Now they finally are, and the story will follow them over the course of the ritual. The most direct approach, with minimal exploration beyond the process of getting the mark itself.
2. Slaying the Sacred Chao: Sunset Shimmer sees Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon passive-aggressively flaunting their iconic accessories in front of the Crusaders. This leads to Sunset asking about cutie marks, and the Crusaders find themselves split between the social stigma against talking about it and their desire to finally get theirs. A compromise is reached through the fortuitous appearance of Mr. Discord, whose sister converted to Harmonism and didn't let the whole "don't talk about it with outsiders" thing tamp down her enthusiasm. At least, not when it came to proselytizing to her loving, patient, handsome brother. Exploration of the deeper religious, cultural, and historical aspects of the matter, largely from an outsider's perspective.
(As a reminder, my headcanon has Discord not as the school's janitor, but as the head of the science department. He teaches physics, or as he likes to think of it, "why we can't have nice things.")
3. Hip to the Groove: The day after defeating the sirens, the Rainbooms, Sunset included, meet at someone's house. The other girls want to talk with Sunset, since they all have disturbingly familiar tattoos on their hips that weren't there the day before. Some just want the input of the resident magic expert; others suspect she's pranked them somehow. (Never mind how; this is too weird a matter for such minor concerns as logic.) Sunset is befuddled until she realizes that humans don't normally have cutie marks. After all, she still has hers. After a brief explanation of how it works in Equestria and how Sunset never saw a bare hip for three years, the girls convey much of the same information as in Slaying the Sacred Chao, though much more hesitantly and from insiders' perspectives. Flashbacks to the ritual itself are possible, but don't expect a Rainboom.
Some degree of synthesis is possible, but my favored option of "All of the above" would be terribly redundant. So, what do you guys think? If you think you have better ideas than these, feel free to share... unless you plan on using them, of course.
Make the "Slaying the Sacred Chao" a series, much can come of this, and I think it would make a wonderful Universe.
Have to admit, I think you're overthinking this a bit.
My money's on the EG cutie marks basically basically being personal instead of family crests. Heraldry trickled down from the upper classes instead of family names. Ta-da, done.
If I had to pick, I'd go with #3 though. Would be interesting to see the magic leaking into that universe from Equestria actually having long-term effects for once. Don't think I've ever seen that explored.
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I'm not sure what you mean there. After all, the universe in question is Equestria Girls. I do have some other stories planned that incorporate this headcanon, but I don't see how I can make a series just out of a setting exploration.
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But overthinking things is so much fun! Especially when I can explore the supernatural in a low-magic universe. (Definitely not no-magic. The sirens could feed and Pinkie existed.) And come what may of this idea, I definitely have something planned for pony magic leakage in the human world.
If you want a story to write, I pick #3.
If you want my opinion on the topic, I don't think Cutie Marks exist in the EG's world outside of special trinkets/charms they might get when they became of age.
I can't say I find where you seem to be going with EqG ~verse Marks very interesting, but w/e. #2 is basically exposition city, and I'd really recommend you steer away from that. I think #1 would be kinda disconnected but those types of stories can work anyways.
#3 should have Sunset come to the horrifying realization that a Pony's Mark is determined by her EqG ~verse counterpart's decision of what symbol to use in the ritual.(All my headcanons of EqG ~verse are of cosmic horror, one way or another.)Like what We were talking about with ARWtW
#1 seems straight to the point, but without the juicy reasons why? that so many readers like to inquire upon.
#2 sounds good, but will it be full-blown exposition or full-blown exposition with a fun twist?
#3 sounds like fun in terms of seeing how the human-versions of the girls 'discovered their destiny' and if Discord's exposition is being transferred over to Sunset Shimmer's position, then we have juicy reasons/full-blown exposition, but more in-depth and tailored to fit six personalities.
If any of that makes sense to you, then my vote is for #3
Yeah, I think #3 is the most fertile for a story, though all three options have merit.
I do think that having a bit of leakage would be a good idea; we could combine it with the time-honored tradition called the beach episode.
That is brilliant.
Also, I support option 2.
Imma have to go with 3
2 or 3. You primarily need to think about how the characters would work. Establishing a sister for Discord may not be the best thing, but it'd also work the explanation better. However, a great many people like insider's perspective.
So, where do you want the exposition to come from? The World or The Characters?
I can't say I'm even interested in #1. It seems like the worst idea for it.
my input is go with number 3 but what do I know?
2 and 3 sound the most best, and I'd lean more towards 2 if asked.
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The EqG world is a high magic universe!
No one knows how to tap into the magic.
The magic is a dimensional echo of Equestrian magic, making it hard to manipulate, but easy to observe.
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Nothing wrong with cosmic horror-based headcanons. Look at what I do with Pinkie Pie.
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I like where this is going.
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In Rainbow Rocks, it's difficult to tell how much is imported Equestrian magic and how much is the native article. Also, there's the question of what the distinguishing factor is between a world with low levels of easily utilized magic and one with high levels of hard-to-utilize magic.
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Where im going with it isthat the cutie mark phenomenon is expressed in eqg via basic fascination with arbitrarily chosen symbology, and so eqg humans will tend to include that symbol into their aesthetic attire without knowing that the symbol has any real meaning. Equestrian-echoed fate magic at work with the limited palette of humanity.
Stuff like that, where magic of friendship or song and music or cutie marks or harmony is still a thing, as they are ambient background manipulations ofgeneral reality, enforcing coincidences and pinging against souls with meaningful effects, but the practical impact is much less by virtue of the target's nature.
Magic circles and rituals dont work in eqg, unless there is a magical artifact or conflagration by which to channel any willpower into the rituals or circle. Magic development in eqg would be exponential: one proper magical artifact with channeling capacities would allow the creation of further artifacts to repeat the process.
Humans would still remain less magical than an earth pony in their ability and capacity eithout interface artifacts, unless changed by an artifact or permanently altered through a magical addition to their bloodline to make them and their descendants not baseline humans. The most basic mutation you would see from such a bloodline ritual would be unicorn horns, or ledomaritan tattoos, or third eye magic affectors.
4. Fourth Mirror Breaks: they realise they are a mere echo world, all based on the ponies' world, yet fated never to visit Equestria because they all hold the idiot ball forever and are fundamentally uncurious and seriously the plot of the first film only works if everyone is an idiot for all time. Also Discord created the mirrorworld on a weekend bender and then abandoned it in disgust.
Oh well, notwithstanding my anti-EG bias, I'd honestly read existential horror of the "we're a sick reflection of the true world" variety. It's starting to feel kind of CS Lewisy without the religion.
Okay, turns out I didn't get around to commenting on this.
Um... all of them?
#3. With the revelation that Sunset has no idea how human magic works, it can lead to some interesting ideas.
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The idea has evolved into Oversaturation, where Sunset does indeed have no idea how human magic works. Of course, neither do most humans.